


Changes

by eruriotica (minxiebutt)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Changelings, Familiars, Fluff without Plot, One-Armed Erwin Smith, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-08-02 22:11:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16313603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minxiebutt/pseuds/eruriotica
Summary: On a sunny morning, he walks through the courtyard garden as his doctor recommends, and when he sits on a stone bench, his hand gripping for its lost counterpart, a squeaking kitten comes out from under another bench to demand his attention.For Erwin Week 2018: Mystic.





	Changes

Erwin spends the beginning of spring time lying in a hospital bed, pitying himself and Fate’s decisions concerning him, wasting hours doing nothing but staring out the window at the cityscape. He is here because he was trying to force something into existence that he had no control over, and the universe must've sent him a blaring cease and desist, tired of his interference. On a sunny morning, he walks through the courtyard garden as his doctor recommends, and when he sits on a stone bench, his hand gripping for its lost counterpart, a squeaking kitten comes out from under another bench to demand his attention.

The close brush with death leaves Erwin empathetic in a way he doesn’t understand yet, and he’s so overwhelmed with concern for this skinny furball that he calls his brother-in-law and asks him to take the kitten home until he gets released.

A few days later, Mike takes Erwin home, too. He’s got the kitten in his car, and it curls up in Erwin’s lap on the drive. Erwin’s little sister is there when they arrive, and she’s already got things to accommodate the new resident that’s been acclimating to Erwin’s home in peace and quiet.

“It’ll be good for you,” Nanaba says, scratching behind the kitten’s ears. They leave Erwin that night with a fridge full of premade meals and worry in their eyes.

-

That very first night, Erwin thinks it’s memory lapse, the way small chores get done around the house. After a day, it become unavoidable. He collects the kitten up in his hand and looks it in the eyes as he asks, “You’re a familiar, aren’t you?”

The kitten scurries out of his grip and reveals himself. Erwin can’t tell if he’s a man or if he’s a boy, looking at first glance about half of Erwin’s own age, short and thin with dark circles under his eyes, equally dark hair a tangled mess on his head. He’s naked but dressed in a canvas of tattoos, so many that Erwin’s eyes cannot settle on one before they’re moving to the next. Judging by the boy’s stiff body language, he’s uncomfortable standing there, and as soon as Erwin mutters a thank you, the boy disappears down into a cat. A big, fat cat with long black fur and silver eyes.

“What’s your name, at least?” Erwin’s been calling him soft endearments fit for a proper feline, but changelings are people with their own rights.

The cat flicks its tail at him, ending the conversation. Perhaps he’s just not ready for that, yet. Erwin’s never met anyone with such a standoffish attitude. Later on, there’s a scribble on Erwin’s shopping list notepad, four letters in a row, a name, followed by an apology for deceiving Erwin in how he initially presented himself.

His familiar is named Levi.

When Nanaba next comes to check on him, she sees the adult-sized cat lounging in a sunny windowsill, and looks at Erwin with narrowed eyes. He nods.

Over the course of the first few days, Erwin slowly learns the details of his new companion. Levi is actually his age, not half; he can read, write, and as Erwin learns one night when he’s got a playlist on that Levi apparently disagrees with, he can handle electronics with ease. Erwin asks at breakfast if Levi would like a phone, and when Erwin looks at his shopping list before going out, he sees where Levi has scribbled his request with a ‘please.’

-

Erwin’s amazon account gets more activity in the first month of owning Levi than it’s seen in the last few years. The changeling still hasn’t graced Erwin with a spoken word, but they communicate in a variety of written ways— a notebook that Erwin leaves open on the living room coffee table with a pen, online messages because Erwin’s gotten Levi a tablet, and most often lately, the shopping list.

Erwin goes out for a doctor’s appointment and comes back a few hours later, spying the neatly broken down cardboard boxes tucked behind his recycling container. There’s a new drying rack laden with dripping dishes, most of them are the mugs that Erwin knows for a fact had been left to mold away in his study even before the accident. He takes one and turns it over, finding a shining inside.

“Levi,” he calls, intent on thanking his housemate, wanting to stress that Levi does not _need_ to do anything he does not want, but Erwin turns around and comes face to face with a gyrfalcon on the kitchen island. He stumbles back, his hips knocking into the counter’s edge as Levi raises up and spreads his wings, a magnificent span.

“Oh,” Erwin says once he catches his breath. He rubs a hand at his chest, over his heart. Levi’s poofy, watching Erwin with a black hole for an eye. He doesn’t nip when Erwin goes to touch him, but his beak opens and he backs up a little bit. Like this, Levi looks as if he needs some space, so without any knowledge of the raptor’s body language, Erwin goes with his gut.

“I’m sorry.” Erwin drops his hand and looks away. He goes to his bedroom to get out of his dressy clothing, and at some point, his gyrfalcon joins him. Levi is perched on top of Erwin’s bedroom door, talons scratching off the paint, endless black eyes watching Erwin struggle to get the last button undone on his shirt. It’s a small task that he used to mindlessly achieve, but now, the difficulty frustrates him because it should not be this hard, and yet, Erwin finds himself sitting on the edge of his bed, struggling.

Levi swoops down right in front of Erwin, and Erwin leans back, astonished to find the gyrfalcon inside his personal space. With a considerable amount of care, Levi brings his sharp beak to the cotton blend and bites. Realising that Levi is trying to help, Erwin gets back to his task, a little unnerved to have his tender fingertips so close to the deadly-looking beak while knowing he’s perfectly safe, and together, they undo the final button.

Erwin orders leather to lay on the tops of all his doors, and doesn’t bother repainting what the cowhides cover up. He orders a perch, too, and installs it in the living room, at the window that gets the most sunlight.

-

Erwin’s expecting Nanaba, and she announces her arrival with a shriek. Agitated by the loud noise because Erwin’s home is a very quiet place, Levi swoops in to join Erwin in the kitchen, starting on the countertop and then moving to a gloved fist when it’s offered.

“What the fuck?” Nana blurts, cautiously poking her head into the kitchen before coming around the corner, keeping space.

“You remember Levi,” Erwin says by way of introduction. She hasn’t been over since Levi was a cat, so of course she’s startled. Erwin forgot to mention the change.

“Hello, Levi.” She shakes off her fright and closes the distance. Levi eyes her, shifting on the glove, and then hops off to land on the counter and walk over to their guest. Erwin watches the gyrfalcon lower his head, Nana bringing one shy finger up to scritch him. “You’re very lovely like this. Have you been other creatures?”

Levi coos once. Nana interprets it as, “No?” Another coo, like an agreement.

“Just the cat and the falcon,” Erwin informs her. “Do you think I can take him around like this?”

“Just on the glove?” Nana hums in thought for a moment. “I don’t think it’s illegal, per se, but with regular falcons, it wouldn’t be recommended.”

“Levi’s not a regular falcon.” As if proud of Erwin’s defense, he spreads his wings, showing off. He turns to his changeling and asks softly, “Would you like to go out and fly, Levi?”

A black hole eye comes to focus on Erwin, and Levi lets out what passes for falcon chirping.

They chance walking to the central park with Levi on the glove, and let him fly for two hours while they sit on a plaid blanket with a picnic basket. Nana breaks the news of a coming nibling after so many years of trying. Levi chases squirrels and other small animals, swooping low on the ground before raising up and circling high overhead. At one point, someone who knows birds asks Erwin how he’s acclimated a gyrfalcon to their warm climate. He just smiles and turns his face to the sun, Levi a brief shadow across his face.

Later when they’re on the way home, Nana carries Levi on the glove. Erwin can hear her singing to Levi, and in the middle of the night when Erwin jumps awake with visions of his accident, Levi tries to copy that same song in a clumsy way.

-

Focusing on Levi gives Erwin’s newfound surge of empathy a healthy outlet. Exercising Levi gives him a reason to leave his home, when he would rather hide himself away. He’s still not ready to go back to work, even though it’s been two months. His amputation is healing fine, no infections, marvellously healthy, and if he felt that he could tolerate it, his doctor says that he could work. But he’s not ready yet. Soon, but not yet. And not just because he thinks Levi needs him, because it’s clearly the other way around. His changeling is perfectly self-sufficient, and for whatever reason, he sticks with Erwin.

There’s a tray on Erwin’s bed filled with the cups and mugs that have been congregating over the last week, left to loiter in dusty corners, and beside the tray is a cat curled tight. Levi’s so tuckered out that he sleeps through Erwin’s arrival. Erwin ghosts his hand over his familiar, wanting to touch but not wanting to disturb, so in the end, he takes the tray to the kitchen to wash its contents.

His home is practically sparkling, and he doesn’t really know what to offer Levi in exchange for everything he’s done. Perhaps it’s the depression, but Erwin feels like Levi is only trying to make up for his initial deception, yet Erwin can’t seem to mind that Levi even did. As he’s putting the last mug on the rack to dry, Levi rubs against his shins, announcing himself before jumping up onto the counter to judge the job Erwin’s done.

He sniffs at the mugs and must deem them satisfactory because he hops back down and winds between ankles.

“How about a movie?” Erwin suggests. He falls asleep during a slow part of exposition, and wakes up to credits with Levi purring on his chest.

-

On their shopping list, Levi makes a request for herbs, so they go out to the market, a man and his extremely well-behaved wolf companion, their first outing with the new harness Levi ordered for himself. Erwin picks up whatever potted plants make Levi’s tail wag.

Levi is a goober for the curious children who ask nervously for permission to pet him. Their parents look a little perturbed but upon seeing Levi responding to their children’s inquiry of “shake?” with a raised paw, their expressions relax.

The kids take Levi through a whole regiment of shaking, speaking, rolling over, playing dead, and standing on his hind legs before their parents thank Erwin for his time and drag their awestruck little ones away. Levi’s tail wags a mile a minute, and he’s panting through a smile.

Back at home, they put their herbs in the kitchen window. Erwin rests from their expedition on the sofa, the news on with low volume, and Levi lays beside him with his head in Erwin’s lap.

-

The first time Levi speaks to Erwin, he’s in a frenzy. He’s been restless, talons digging into the leather on top of Erwin’s bedroom door, pacing for over an hour, and he finally comes to Erwin as a human, though it looks completely uncomfortable to him as he’s wrapped in one of the fluffiest spare comforters.

“You’re stuck with me,” Levi blurts, his head down, his eyes on the floor between them. His hands fidget under the comforter. “I chose you and you adopted me. So. You can’t get rid of me now.”

Levi’s stiff like he’s expecting to have to fight, and when Erwin replies with an easy “of course”, Levi looks up at him, visibly startled.

Erwin opens his arm to welcome his companion into his lap. “Of course,” he repeats. “You don’t have to worry about that, Levi. I want to keep you around forever, if I can.”

“Really?” Levi deflates and climbs up into Erwin’s lap, something he’s done countless times, but never before like this. Erwin pets him and kisses him on the forehead regardless of the fact that he’s human and not feline in this moment.

“Definitely.” Erwin explains to him that while Levi is free to leave if he desires, Erwin wants to keep him. For a long time. Maybe for all of time.

“I want to stay,” Levi rushes to reciprocate. “With you, forever. So… don’t worry.”

Erwin smiles at his changeling and nods. “Alright. Forever.”

Levi mirrors his nod, makes no move to leave this embrace.

-

They’re chatting through online messages while playing a lazy board game. Levi taps out with his small hands and great concentration, Erwin getting to see him as a raccoon for the first time. It was more out of necessity, Levi explained, because he wanted to make tea while Erwin was getting the game set up for them to play.

 _I miss thumbs,_ Levi sends him. After Erwin reads the message, Levi holds up his hands, fingers spread.

“Ah, but raccoons are trickster bandits, capable of incredible problem solving,” Erwin smiles. He watches the way Levi types out a response, needing to backspace a few times when he gets too excited.

_But I have lived with thumbs. I know what I am missing._

Erwin opens his mouth to reply, but closes it. He knows Levi is a human when he’s home alone. There are some tasks that would be impossible to accomplish. That, and Levi’s told him as much several times. But the fact that Levi has only ever presented that way to Erwin twice in nearly four months, Erwin feels like mentioning it is too pushy. Whatever reasons Levi has are valid, and Erwin doesn’t want his familiar to feel pressured.

Levi types. _I am getting another snack._

He jumps down from the coffee table and scurries off into the kitchen. Erwin listens to the sound of claws on tile, then claws on wood as Levi climbs up into the small pantry. There’s the unique scratching of nails on cardboard, then a plasticy crinkle, and moment later, Levi runs back in with a zebra cake in his mouth.

“Will that many upset your stomach?” Erwin asks.

Levi looks at him and maintains eye contact as he shovels the snack cake into his mouth in a frighteningly small number of bites, managing to keep his fur clean in the process.

“Alright,” Erwin surrenders. “You know where the toilet is.”

-

Erwin gets emails for every order placed, and it’s usually good for the home, but the email he gets while he’s out with Nanaba is all men’s clothing in extra small sizes. His breath hitches. Is Levi going to start presenting as a human around him? Is that why he’s ordered all the necessary articles of clothing?

Nanaba picks a very plain crib but a very cute bedding set, and places the order so that Mike can come pick it up at a later date. She slips her hand around Erwin’s arm and guides him to an ice cream stand in the food court so that she can listen to his rambling concerns over his changeling while also sating a craving. As Erwin talks, she offers hums and nods and sounds to affirm that she’s hearing him, and lets him talk himself into a circle.

“You love him.” Nanaba smiles at her bewildered brother. “You’re not _in love_ with him, but you love him. You care about him.”

“I do,” Erwin confesses, the answer he didn’t know he needed until now.

-

The box of clothing arrives and its contents get hung up in Erwin’s closet without any fanfare. Levi doesn’t mention it, and neither does Erwin. It happens that one night, as Erwin’s going through his bedtime routine, his familiar walks in and says, “I’m going to shower.”

Erwin can see the top of Levi’s head where he’s hiding behind Erwin’s reflection in the mirror, so instead of turning around to look directly at him, Erwin takes that small given glance and nods. He leans down to rinse his face in the sink one more time, and when he erects, Levi is safely inside the shower and out of view. On top of the closed toilet lid, a neat stack waits, a thin t-shirt, briefs, and thick socks.

Giving his companion privacy, Erwin climbs into bed and turns on his lamp to read. When Levi comes out with a billow of steam, he’s squeaky clean, his hair combed, and he hops up into bed without delay. Just like he does when he’s feline, he snuggles up into Erwin’s side that was once occupied by an arm, and even as a human, he fits there perfectly.

“Goodnight,” Levi murmurs. He shifts once or twice more before sighing out and seeming to instantly fall asleep. Erwin reaches over to set his book down and turn the lamp off, then he gathers Levi beneath his arm, petting his damp hair.

This is something he could get used to, if Levi were to allow it. What he feels for Levi lacks any sort of drive or urgency. It’s a gentle tide of love, ever-present and steady, their mutual commitment a lighthouse. There are things Erwin does not yet know of his familiar, but he feels confident that Levi’s secrets are all worth the wait.

Into black hair, he kisses, “Goodnight.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I trimmed this to keep it from growing into another 10k oneshot, so I hope this doesn't feel too hollow. Thank you for reading!


End file.
